Washington State Legislature –

Motorcycle Rider Legislative Update

The following is a list of legislation of interest to motorcycle riders that is currently pending before the Washington State Legislature. This list is provided as a way for our readers to stay informed and to enable you to contact legislators as they debate issues and for you add your own personal input.

Quick Throttle Magazine provides this list as a convenience to our readers and makes no recommendations on these proposals unless noted on the editorial page.

April 1, 2012

Major News: The legislature has adjourned its regular session and is now in a Special Session. All of the bills listed below are still subject to action in the Special Session, but none are scheduled and are unlikely to be voted on this year.

HB 1098 – Traffic Safety Cameras — Requires a vote of the people before installing traffic cameras, increases yellow light duration, and prohibits using citations as points on records or for license review by employer or insurance companies.Assigned to the House Transportation Committee

HB 1099 – Automatic Traffic Cameras — Also requires a vote of the people before installing traffic cameras, increases yellow light duration, and prohibits using citations as points on records for license review by employer or insurance companies. Prohibits compensation to company owning cameras based on fine revenue.Assigned to House Transportation Committee

HB 1527 – Motorcycle Traffic Signals – Allows a motorcyclist to proceed through traffic control signals when the sensor fails to recognize the bike to activate the signal and after one cycle of the light.Assigned to the House Transportation Committee

HB 1533 – Off Road Motorcycles – Allows off-road motorcycles to ride short distances on certain roads in order to reach an off-road area.Assigned to House Transportation Committee

HB 1542 – Motorcycle Theft Tools – Makes possession of tools designed to be used to steal a motorcycle as a crime.In House Rules Committee

HB 1543 – Motorcycle Instruction Permits – Limits an unendorsed rider to three instruction permits, and the third is issued only when the rider shows proof of enrolment in a certified motorcycle instruction class. (Same as SB 5141)In House Transportation Committee

HB 1590 – Traffic Safety Cameras – Similar to HB 1098 and HB 1099 but also requires a referendum be submitted to voters on retention of existing cameras.Assigned to House Transportation Committee

SSB 5027 – Requiring motorcycle manufacturers to indicate off-road only – Requires that manufacturers to indicate whether a motorcycle is intended for off road use only.In Senate Rules Committee

SSB 5063 – Motorcycle Special Plates – Allows motorcycles to apply for and get certain specialty plates (such as armed services and purple heart medal) that under law now are limited only to cars.In Senate Rules Committee

SB 6062 – Motorcycle Definition – Changes slightly the definition of motorcycle, by deleting “two and three wheeled” and replacing them with “single track” and “multi track”.Assigned to Senate Transportation Committee